Reflection of the Stars
by EndlessStars
Summary: After a magical ritual gone wrong, Edward and Alphonse Elric pay the price. Ed loses an arm and leg and Al is slowly turning into stone. To save his brother, Ed must find the legendary Philosopher's Book, and joins the royal army to help him on his quest. But in their search, they find themselves caught in the middle of a war from the foreign kingdoms and within Amestris itself. AU


**A/N: Hello reader! I see that you have stumbled upon my first fanfiction! Before we start on our magical journey to the enchanted land of Amestris, I must go over a few things. 1) This story is based on the manga/2009 anime. 2) I am new at writing, so mistakes should be expected. 3) There are canon pairings and maybe some parental stuff but don't expect too much romance. I don't like romance as a genre and if I try to write it, it will either be cheesy to the point of being painful to read, or it'll be a pile of utter nonsense. 4) This is obviously an AU and a Fantasy. 5) I'll try to update weekly or biweekly but no promises! 6) Feel free to review and tell me how awesome(or horrible) my story and writing is! Please? I love reviews! Now, without further ado, let the journey begin!**

**Disclaimer: Even with a Philosopher's Stone, I will never own FMA.**

Prologue

Since the beginning of time, there was a series of legends, passed down from one generation to the next. It was said that these legends told the story about the world's past and its fate. These legends had held the answers to everything, even the truth. But at some point in time, the legends were forgotten and the humans would move on to a new era where they would perhaps rediscover all that had been lost. The remaining believers of these legends have insisted that the stories still exist. They believed that fate, past, and truth had all been written in an ancient book. They called this book, the Philosopher's Book.

Of course, the majority of people think of the legends as just that, legends. They thought that it was just a story that naïve and desperate people believed in to give themselves hope. But Edward Elric _was_ desperate. He would do anything to reach his goal, and if there was a chance, no matter how small, that the Philosopher's Book was hidden somewhere, he wasn't going to let that chance go.

But when he had set out one month ago, he had been too hopeful. Now, after so many failures, he realized that the Philosopher's Book hadn't been found for so long for a very good reason. Now, he was also broke, tired, far from home, and lost in the middle of nowhere, and he hadn't gotten any closer to finding the book.

He looked up at the glaring, melting hot sun lazily. _So tired.._. He moaned to himself, feeling ready to collapse. A sharp peck on his head jolted him from his daze. It was that pesky bird again. He glared at the yellow creature, shooing it away angrily.

"Stupid bird." He muttered testily to himself. "How does Alphonse get along with you so well? Familiar or not, your the most annoying thing I've ever been unfortunate enough to meet." Apparently, the bird didn't like his comment. It squawked angrily and poked at him again.

"Brother, calm down. Feathers is just reminding you to not fall asleep while walking." A young voice said. Ed took out a small mirror that had been hidden in his crimson red robes. A boy with golden eyes and hair stared back at him. But it wasn't him, despite the similarities. It was his younger brother, Alphonse.

"That little monster is trying to provoke me." He hissed insistently to the mirror. Al rolled his eyes.

"Should I even bother to try to tell you otherwise?"

"No, you'll be wasting your breath, _because I'm right_." A long sigh.

"Keep telling that to yourself."

"Are you saying that I'm delusional?" He demanded.

"No, I'm just implying it." Al said innocently. Ed growled, stuffing the mirror back in his pocket. Apparently, the little bird didn't like him treating its master like that either, for it pecked him again. He yelped in irritation rather than pain and glared at the creature who was producing a sound that sounded suspiciously like laughter. A vein bulged from Ed's head as his face reddened in rage. The creature wisely decided to fly higher.

"Oh no..." Al moaned from the mirror. Ed tried to calm down.

_Deep calming breaths, Ed. One. Two. Three..._ He didn't even get to ten before the bird started laughing again. As he later would claim, all he saw after that was red.

"Get back here you feathered little monster! I'm going to _murder_ you!" Ed screamed as he took out a wand and started shooting spells at the creature. "Stop moving so I can turn you into a melon! _I'm having bird for dinner tonight!_"

"A melon?!" Al exclaimed, understandably confused. "Brother, where did that come from?" Ed ignored him as he continued to chase his target who was now laughing uncontrollably. As the bird flew onwards down the road, Ed chased it in vain.

He was so focused on catching the bird, he didn't notice that he was in a village until half of it was already destroyed. Now, he found himself surrounded by royal guards wielding magical weapons. The bird landed on his shoulders, looking as smug as a bird can possibly look and poked him once again. Ed groaned.

"I hate my life."

* * *

><p>He tapped his foot on the filthy floor of his cell impatiently as he waited for his trial to begin.<p>

"Brother, I_ told_ you that you still needed those anger management classes." Al sighed. "This is the third time you've ended up in a dungeon and it's only been a month!"

"I don't need those so called teachers lecturing me about how to stay calm, Al. People just don't understand that accidents will happen! I don't get why they make such a big deal over it." Ed said defensively.

"Brother, accident or not, _destroying half a village is a big deal!_" Al said in exasperation.

"Why? I always offer to clean up my own mess! With just a wave of my wand, everything will be back just the way it was." Al decided to give up on the matter.

"Ugh, I'm not going to argue with you about this. Just forget that I ever said anything. But believe it or not, putting you in jail for destroying a village is justified, Brother." Before Ed could respond, a guard unlocked his cell.

Ed stood up as a man entered the room.

"Edward Elric?"

"That's me."

"Come with me, your trial is about to begin." Ed sighed and followed the man out of his prison. They exited the jailhouse and walked past the ruins that Ed had created earlier that day. The man looked at the piles of rubble curiously.

"I've heard that you caused all this damage this morning. Is it true?" His guide asked as they strolled down the still busy street.

"I don't remember doing it, but according to witnesses, yes."

"I see. May I ask what your motives were?"

"It was an accident."

"An accident?"

"Yeah, got a problem with that?" Ed asked, suddenly defensive.

"I'm afraid so, Mr. Elric. I find it hard believe that someone could _accidentally_ destroy a village."

"Well it happened, so too bad." He felt sharp eyes suddenly turn on him, but refused to meet them. The gaze left as soon as it came.

The man remained silent for a few seconds, as if deep in thought. He then turned to look sidelong at Ed.

"Do you see this symbol on my jacket?" Ed looked at him with an irritated glare.

"You mean that giant lion thing that takes up most of your fancy coat?"

"That's another way of putting it." The man said calmly.

"Yeah, of course I see it! Do I look blind to you?"

"A simple 'yes' would have sufficed."

"Why would you ask me such a ridiculous question?" Ed asked, ignoring the man's previous statement. No response.

"Do you know what this symbol means?" The man suddenly asked, ignoring Ed as well. Ed snorted.

"No, why would I?" Again, no answer. "Hey, I asked you a question!" Ed snapped, breaking the silence that had stretched over them.

They came to an abrupt stop in front of large heavy doors and the man turned to face him.

"This is the symbol of a Royal Mage, an elite force of skilled magic users under the direct command of the King. We are a rather recent addition to the Royal Army. However, we are well known throughout the lands. Your lack of fear and nervousness around me implies that you have either never heard of us, or that you're a brave fool."

Ed rolled his eyes. "That's good to know." He said sarcastically. "but if you're expecting me to kneel before you and kiss your feet because of your fancy coat, _you_ are the fool here."

The man chuckled. "You've got nerves of steel, boy." He held out his hands. "I'm Colonel Roy Mustang, the Dragon Mage. I'll be your judge for your trial." Ed looked at the hand but refused to shake it. Glaring at the man defiantly, he turned, pushed open the doors, and stomped inside, ready to get the trial done and over with.

He had been expecting a giant court room, filled with people and officers all over the place, glaring at him. That was, after all, the environment he had faced in all of his previous trials. But what he found behind those doors was not a court room, but a spacious office. He got the feeling that things were going to get complicated. Ed spun around to face Mustang.

"What kind of a trial is this?" He demanded as Mustang stepped into his office, the doors closing behind him with an ominous _thud_.

"A trial is a rather harsh way of putting it." He said with a smirk. "Think of it as more of an interview. An interview that will decide if you'll be sent to the dungeons, or if I let you go."

* * *

><p>Ed scowled at the man, tempted to draw out one of his wands on the arrogant Colonel. The man had the nerve to make him sit and wait while he finished some paperwork, and Ed was starting to get bored. <em>Really<em> bored. Unfortunately, attacking the Colonel would certainly result in a term in prison.

"And I'm finished!" The man cheered as he signed the last of his paperwork.

In his head, Ed cheered himself. "Good for you!" He said impatiently. "Can we get on with my trial now?"

"Of course, of course. Your _interview_, right." Mustang said, taking out a pen and blank piece of paper. "First question, what's your name?"

"You already know it."

"It's nice meet you, Mr. You Already Know It." Mustang said, dripping with sarcasm as he scribbled something down on the paper. "What was your purpose in coming to this town?"

"I was chasing an annoying bird and somehow ended up here." Ed answered honestly, grimacing at the memory of the little bird. The Colonel, however, appeared to be unconvinced. As he wrote down some notes, he asked the next question.

"Do you practice magic?"

"Yes."

"What type?"

"I refuse to answer that. It seems irrelevant." Mustang frowned at that, but didn't pry.

"Have you ever committed a crime before?"

"I've ended up in several dungeons, but I have never been found guilty."

"Do you have any family?"

"Yes."

"Who?"

"Again, irrelevant."

The interview went on in this manner for about an hour. Mustang would ask a question and Ed would answer it. By the end of it, half of the questions ended up unanswered since Ed thought that they were "irrelevant".

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Mustang put down his pen and met his eyes with Ed's, asking the final question.

"What do you know of the Philosopher's Book?"

A deadly silence filled the room.

"I'm done with this." Ed said softly, standing up to leave. Mustang made no move to stop him. He was almost at the door when he felt something tug at his arms. Golden eyes narrowed and without turning around, he paused.

"Is something the matter?" Mustang asked pleasantly.

"You're a circle user." Ed stated, still not turning around.

"How did you know?" The Colonel asked with a dark grin.

"The 'invisible chains' is often the first spell a circle user learns." Mustang chuckled grimly.

"I see, so you really are a mage."

"I would appreciate it if you would release me." Ed said through gritted teeth.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. Our interview isn't over yet."

"Didn't I tell you that I'm done with this?"

"You did. But _I'm_ not done with this yet." Ed decided to play along, rather than argue with the Colonel. He returned to his seat. "Thank you. Now, I believe that you have yet to answer my last question. What do you know of the Philosopher's Book?"

"Irrelevant." Ed said coldly.

"That's no longer an option."

"Then throw me into the dungeons because I'm not answering that."

"I'm afraid that a term in prison is no longer what's at stake. If you do not answer, I will be forced to execute you."

"What? Why?" Ed hissed angrily.

"Classified. Now, I ask you again, what do you know about the Philosopher's Book?"

A deadly sharp stick appeared between Mustang's eyes. Ed's wand.

"I_ said_ that I'm not answering that question." He said in a dangerously low voice as his wand started to glow with a blood red light.

Mustang smirked, writing down another note on his almost full piece of paper. "You're a wand user." He said. Ed glared at him.

_If only looks could kill..._

"Your interview is over." Mustang said, gathering his many pages of notes. "Please wait here for your results." Ed scowled.

"As if I could leave. What is this anyway? A test?"

The Colonel was already gone.

* * *

><p>"The Philosopher's Book? How does a boy know anything about such a thing?" Mustang was standing before the ruler of the fair kingdom of Amestris, King Bradley.<p>

"I don't know, sir. " He said, answering the King's question. "He got rather defensive when I asked him about it."

"I see, how interesting. What else did you find out about this... Edward Elric?"

"He's a wand user, sir. It would also be safe to assume that he is quite skilled with magic too, considering the damage he caused this morning." The King nodded.

"Do you think he's skilled enough to join?" He suddenly asked, catching Mustang by surprise. The Colonel lost his composure for a moment, as he stared at the King in shock.

"Sir... are you suggesting that he..." He couldn't finish the sentence, but the King's nod confirmed his suspicions. "Sir, he's just a child! You can't possibly be thinking about letting him join the army!"

"Why not? If he's as skilled as your notes seem to imply he is, I think he would be more than qualified to become a Royal Mage."

"But-" The King held up a hand.

"I understand that you do not approve of recruiting a child, Mustang. However, we need as many mages as we could get, especially now. If he is indeed skilled enough, then it is to my belief that he should join our military." The Colonel wanted to protest, but he tried to calm himself first before he could blurt out anything else.

"Sir, it is not his skill you should be worried about." Mustang said carefully. "Do you think that the boy can withstand the pressure of being a soldier? It would mean that he would have to face the hostility of the people, the prospect of fighting in wars, and he would one day have to _kill_." Bradley seemed to consider this.

"Mustang, according to your notes, he has ended up in a dungeon several times. Does that sound like something a normal boy would have to go through? Don't think that he has already faced danger? It has also to come to my attention that he does not seem to have a guardian around. These facts all indicate boy has probably experienced his fair share of pain. I believe that he is prepared to face all the challenges of being a soldier. And if he isn't ready, then he wouldn't be able to pass the exam anyway." The Colonel hesitated. Bradley had a point. If Edward wasn't ready for all the challenges, then he would never be able to pass the Royal Mage exam. There was still one thing bothering him though.

"I see your point...sir." He said reluctantly. "However, I'd like to test the boy myself for a couple of days."

"Oh?" Bradley raised an eyebrow. "What for?"

Mustang took a deep breath. "I'd like to see what type of a person he is, what his goals are, what his potential might be. After all, the last thing we need at the moment is a powerful mage who could very likely betray us." Bradley nodded.

"That makes sense." He said. After thinking about it for a moment, he came to a decision. "Very well, Mustang. I'll give you two days to test the boy. Afterwards, your are to report to me about it. _Then_, we shall see what the boy's fate will be." Mustang saluted to the King.

"Thank you, sir. I will not fail you!"

* * *

><p>The Colonel entered the room with a strange look in his eyes. Ed didn't like it. Not one bit.<p>

"So, can I go now? Or do I sit in a cell for a few days?" He asked suspiciously.

"You will be doing neither of those." Mustang said, plopping onto his giant chair. "I have actually decided to have you work for me for a couple of days."

"What?!" Ed exclaimed.

"You heard me. You'll be my... _assistant_ for two days as a punishment for wrecking my village." The Colonel grinned at the thought of it. Two days without having to deal with paperwork... and of course testing the boy, but no paperwork! Unfortunately, Ed wasn't as excited about this as he was.

"Who says I'm going to comply with this?" Ed asked, fuming.

"Me and my pretty little circle that can burn you." Mustang said cheerfully, exposing a circle that was sewn into his gloves. "And if that isn't enough, I have about a hundred men under my command who are in the area." Ed glowered at the man.

"I could fix the village if you want me to. But if you think that I'm going to be your servant for a couple of days, then your _dead_ wrong."

"Would it help if I offered you some supplies?" Mustang asked, stopping a standing up Ed from immediately leaving. He smirked, knowing that he had won. "The next village is about a week away from here if you walk, and I see that you have no supplies for such a journey. I would gladly give you all the things you need, _but_ you'll have to work for it."

Ed had to think about it. He had been lost for about two weeks now... a nice meal and some cold fresh water that didn't taste like mud sounded really appetizing at the moment. He glared at the manipulative Colonel.

"Two days, right? Nothing more, nothing less?" The Colonel nodded. With a deep sigh, knowing that he would probably regret it later, Ed relented. "Fine, I'll do it."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I actually really enjoyed writing this! I hope you had just as much fun reading it. That wasn't too horrible or rushed, was it? I have a horrible habit of rushing, especially at the end of chapters. On the bright side, this ended up being longer than I expected it to. Please, please, _please_, review! Tell me how you think the story is! And I beg you, if you have any constructive criticism, please do tell me! I really need it! Until our paths cross again, I, EndlessStars, bid you farewell!**


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